Though I was too young to see or remember their debut (my dad reportedly had a repairman come out quickly to fix our tv so that he and my mom could watch the show), I've nevertheless been a huge fan of anything Beatles my whole life and imprinted on them early. Just a few years after their Sullivan debut, we badgered our parents and received their Capitol Records Early Beatles’ compilation album (as seen in the accompanying photos). Then when I was five, an uncle came home bearing the newly-released Sgt. Pepper album for us—their new look totally puzzled to us. There were other touchstones—hearing Meet the Beatles at a family party; seeing Let It Be in a local store; discovering the Abbey Road album at the apartment of our aunt and her cool groovy roommate; staying up late way past our bedtimes (with our parents' permission) when we discovered a local channel was playing Help!; and going to the first revival moviehouse we ever went to in order to watch a double bill of A Hard Days Night and Help!.
When I was in college in the ‘80s, the university I attended screened that Sullivan episode of the Beatles’ appearance—I realize now that was in 1984, to mark the 20th anniversary of their appearance! And now here we are marking the 60th.
Quite a few years back, I picked up the DVD pictured in the photo gallery that contained the first four appearances of the Beatles on Sullivan, from 1964-65. (As many know, Davy Jones also performed on the same show the Beatles made their first appearance—the cast of the Broadway musical “Oliver!” performed in that broadcast, with Jones as as the Artful Dodger.)
Update: I rewatched those Sullivan episodes. As I mentioned to my wife, it's amazing what passed for entertainment in those days lol. That said, I recognize that tastes (and humor changes). But I have to say, I found most of the acts unwatchable and couldn't sit through them, even for the nostalgia factor.
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